Ski resorts set sights on upcoming season
Even without the snow, the autumnal view at Mount St. Louis Moonstone is stunning and it has certainly caught the attention of people taking in this weekend's ski swap.
The ski resort held its annual ski swap after missing it last year due to COVID-19.
"Really excited, and I want to see some nice powder coming down," says Elan Zusman, who visited the ski resort with his family. "I can see that they have the snow blowers out, so definitely, I'm getting excited for ski season."
This week's first snowfall of the season in Muskoka has also helped get people ready.
"Once we get the equipment set, we will get it all tuned up and then have it ready to load it into the car. We're all excited to get going," says Curtis Columbus, who attended the event with his daughter.
Ski resort operators across the province are just as excited. However, Friday's announcement from the Premier to loosen restrictions in many sectors has left Robert Huter at Mount St. Louis Moonstone with a number of questions.
"What will capacities be and how many people can we put on the chair lift?" Huter wonders. "If we are double vaxxed can we load the chair lift 100 per cent? Are we going to be required to wear masks if everyone is double vaxxed? We just need the clarification of what's going on outside," Huter adds.
The issue of staffing is, once again, a concern, this time on the hills. Huter says he just held a job fair Friday and typically sees more applicants.
"We're still looking for about 30 per cent of our staff," Huter says. "It's going to be a challenging winter, but we're up for it and we're going to make the most of it."
Huter says the ski industry will continue its dialogue with the government in hopes of getting specific details in the coming weeks. He says one thing is for certain is that his resort will start making snow as soon as the temperature hits below -3 C.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Louis Gossett Jr., 1st Black man to win supporting actor Oscar, dies at 87
Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar and an Emmy winner for his role in the seminal TV miniseries 'Roots,' has died. He was 87.
Weather alerts issued for 7 provinces, 1 territory
Warnings of up to 60 millimetres of rain and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces and one territory ahead of the Easter weekend.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Luxury cruise line selling world cruise suite for US$1.7 million
Luxury operator Regent Seven Seas Cruises is raising their price tag to eye-watering levels, with a suite on an upcoming 140-day world voyage costing US$1.7 million.
Why Kim Kardashian is being sued for 'knockoff' furniture
The estate of minimalist contemporary artist Donald Judd filed a lawsuit against Kardashian this week, claiming the fashion and beauty mogul promoted 'cheap knockoffs' of his furniture designs.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
A Filipino villager is nailed to a cross for the 35th time on Good Friday to pray for world peace
A Filipino villager has been nailed to a wooden cross for the 35th time to reenact Jesus Christ’s suffering in a brutal Good Friday tradition he said he would devote to pray for peace in Ukraine, Gaza and the disputed South China Sea.
Ontario homeowner on the hook for $27,000 when contractor severed power line
An Ontario man who built a garage on his property has been locked in a battle with his electricity provider for a year and half over a severed power line.
King Charles will attend Easter Sunday service at Windsor
Buckingham Palace officials say King Charles III and Queen Camilla will attend an Easter service at the chapel at Windsor Castle on Sunday.